Maine Bakery Owners Buy Bucksport Restaurant: Will Be Expanding

2024 was a banner year for the folks at Sweet Cheeks Bakery on Verona Island. Jonathan Beal and his partner, Michael Roy, celebrated their 3rd year in business and their 100-thousandth customer in February 2024, by embarking on a renovation of the tiny convenience store structure they first started out in in 2021.

Their plan to expand the old JD's Island Market location both outward and upward was only the beginning.

The expansion the pair ended up with in just one year encompassed more than just the building.

In addition to the work they've been doing to their flagship storefront/bakery in Verona Island, they have added a 24/7 room attached to the building with 2 vending machines named Laverne and Shirley, where folks can grab goodies at all hours of the day or night.

In July of 2024, they added three additional 24/7 vending machines at 113 Main Road in Holden in the Tradewinds Plaza.

Then, in October of 2024, they opened two more 24/7 machines, Lucy and Ethel, in the Mill Mall Plaza in Ellsworth, along with a bakery and a drive-through.

Not to mention that the Sweet Cheeks crew is also still baking for spots Downeast, like Stewart's Grocery & Take Out in Jonesport.

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You would think those bakers would be right out straight with the task of baking. But Beal and Roy are more than just bakers, they're dreamers. They have always had a vision of branching out so they could give back to the communities that have supported them. This week, they made another exciting announcement on their Facebook page about what's to come in the summer of 2025: They're going to be opening a diner in Bucksport!

"This has been a goal. We have been waiting for the right location at the right time and this is the right location and the right time."

The couple is in the process of buying Glenn's Place Family Restaurant and Pub at 214 Route 1 in Bucksport. They say that while they plan to keep most things business as usual, after they take over the building, they will be making one major adjustment; they'll be opening for breakfast!

"We are extremely excited to bring Sweet Cheeks breakfast to Bucksport! For years, so many that have graced our doorways on Verona Island have longed for a place to sit down and enjoy their breakfast. Now we are going to make it happen! Our fluffy omelets, overstuffed breakfast burritos, home fries made on the grill, scrumptious muffins, real ‘not from a can’ corned beef hash, our own homemade toast, and so much more!"

They are hoping to reopen as Sweet Cheeks Diner by this July.